Patna, Sep 29(Inditop.com) At least 10 people were killed and over 40 missing after a boat carrying over 60 people on their way back from Durga Puja festivities capsized in the Bagmati river in Bihar’s Khagaria district, an official said Tuesday.
The accident took place Monday evening when villagers were returning from a fair to mark the conclusion of Durga Puja in Khagaria, about 200 km from here. The boat with a capacity of 30, was carrying over 60 villagers, mainly women and children.
“Till now, 10 bodies have been recovered; 15 of the passengers managed to swim to safety or were rescued but nearly 40 people are still missing,” Satish Chand Jha, a district administration official, told IANS.
More bodies are likely to be recovered in the next few hours, he added.
“Chances of survival of the missing people are remote as the boat capsized Monday evening. It has been over 12 hours, so we fear the worst,” another official said.
A team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) launched operations to search for the missing people. They were assisted by the district police. But the search operation was hampered when night fell, the official added.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced a compensation of Rs.150,000 to the families of the victims.
The opposition Lok Janshakti Party state president Pasupati Kumar Paras, however, has demanded compensation of Rs.10 lakh.
